Switzerland: How to Visit Switzerland on a Budget

Best part about Switzerland (besides the amazing views) was the delicious free water everywhere I went from the fountains.

Thank you dear me and my husband are planning for your honeymoon….. I did look into lots of travel agencies to plan our trip buts going way out of budget…. And because of money my husband was getting demotivated and on the way to change destination but as I was the one who is looking in and planning all so my heart is like I want my honeymoon in Switzerland… I think the best tip I have got out of watching tans of videos, calling about 20 to 25 agencies and from all those efforts you video is most helpful thank you so very much …. I’ll let you know how it gone … I am planning for next year ….. have 2 quick question which month is best to visit? And Is hostels are good to stay ?

Whoever told you to eat at mcDonald's is your enemy.

oh Thanks for this vid, it helps an idea - I am planning with the fam to visit in Switzerland...

I need a lot information about hostels in Switzerland please,leave comment if you had an experience about that,thanks

About the Swiss people: I ain’t saying they are gold diggers, but they ain’t messing with no broke n**gas.

TBH everywhere we have traveled to so far, going to the grocery stores has been a part we look forward to as much as the rest of it. The grocery stores are still a great place to try different things! It's also fun to try to figure out what some of the things are when you don't understand much of the language. One of the first things on our to do lists when we get to a new place is check in to where we are staying... then it's straight to the grocery store! We grab a snack item or two and a couple of things we can eat for breakfast. We wander around a bit and amuse ourselves with all the packaging and different types of foods. Nice way to ease in to the trip!

We also always start off a trip to Europe with a bottled water purchase. Once we finish what's in the bottle, we hold on to it and refill it throughout the trip. We used to bring our own bottles from home but it's too much hassle. Instead we buy a bottle of water and keep using it. If we get tired of carrying it one day or cant bring it in somewhere, then we can toss it and not feel too bad. You just go buy another from the store.

I have buy a lufthansa turist ticket for $780, how ? I did 8 months ago, then the hotel by using airbnb in Zurich central for $50 per day, how?, I did 8 months ago, there are quality and low prices markets all over Zurich, then comes the trains , how ? 2 months ago... cheap is cheap everywhere

Grocery stores, buses, hotels in the countryside and trains

My Swiss coworker told me that train tickets are a shock for American tourists

So how much should someone take in USD to be well off for a week. That’s the main travel question when it comes to money man cmon lol

Book hotels or hostels that are NOT in a main road. Book them 2-3 blocks away from a train station or major road. Noise and tourist area will cost you more. Walk a couple of blocks and save a couple of hundreds $

Switzerland is so fascinating to non-Swiss people, I never realized that! My only impression of it was that it was a little nation. Switzerland makes me happy, and I'm delighted to be there.

I recommend taking the 8 tram to DE and the 3 tram to F when in Basel. The groceries are way cheaper and it’s cool to ride a tram to another country.

Rheinschwimmen is free! Just hop in the Rhein by the Tingley Museum and hop out wherever you want - we always hit up a buvette, not free for biers after and kick it.

all you have mentioned are 101% right. I'm doing my own research for couple of years on travelling to Swiss on budget and finally have booked my flight ticket, will be coming to Swiss in June 2023 and going to have a blast for 10 days. anyway your videos really informative for people who planning to visit Swiss. tq

My mom, who is 83 years, would like to visit Bern, Switerland. She is in a wheelchair so that may prove a bit difficult.
How handicapped accessible are places like Zurich and Bern?
Also I have tried to look for flights into Bern but wasn't able to find any from the states. Does that mean, we would need to fly into Zurich and travel on land to Bern? Or is there a better option?
One thing I have been fustrated about with sites like Orbitz and Expedia, is that packaged deals (like flight and hotel) only show hotels for the desitnation. Like if we want to fly into zurich and travel to Bern, how can we get the search to show that without paying a separate (and possibly a more) price?

I will say a meal at a cafe is cheaper than a meal at McDonalds from my experience. McDonalds was very expensive around $25 per meal whereas I would get delicious meals at local cafes for $20-25 (better quality food and more filling).

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Basel my hometown❤️❤️❤️

Try to find hotels with free breakfast is key because you can grab a few snacks for later. You will spend money in CH but yes try to get lunch at a grocery store COOP, Migros etc) my wife and I for dinners will just do the same. Something from grocery store. I took my dad to CH back in May and he nearly had a heart attack at the price of things. I was already immune

invite me there to c

My tip to visit switzerland.
Bring what you need to bivouac, buy a train pass, and at night, take the train to the countryside to stealth camp in a forest.
Buy food at migros. Even if you lazy, the sandwich at migros restaurant (not the ones in the in shop fridge) are really good, and much cheaper than mac donald.
You can hike everywhere for free, when the weather is too bad, take the train to reload your phone and get dry and warm.

The last place i d like to visit is Switzerland ...its a snake pitt

What is a good budget for Switzerland? I want to spend at least 3 full days in Zermatt. My budget goal is 5k not counting the plane tickets. I have looked at prices there I feel as though 5k would be enough to enjoy myself.

As a Swiss, going on vacation in Switzerland is also expensive for me (and many others). I fully agree on the advice given by Wolters and can add maybe some more:
- If you like having a meal at a restaurant go there for lunch, not for dinner. Most restaurants have a set menu at lunch time which is significantly cheaper than "à la carte". These are not served in the evening.
- Don't drink wine in restaurants regularly, wine is very expensive there (like factors more expensive than in a shop!). In Switzerland it is accepted to drink in public. So if you want to enjoy a bottle of wine with your family or friends, just buy a nice bottle in Coop or Denner, buy a couple of glasses, and sit down at a nice lake shore and enjoy your wine. Buy some bread and cheese, cured or smoked meat and enjoy it as a meal. Be aware that being drunk in public is a completely different thing though...
- Do some hikes! There are hiking trails all over the place. There is a trail for everyone, for every level of fitness. You will get to the most amazing places by walking there. Of course there are some spots, where you have to take a railway to the mountains if you want to go there. But to some of these you can also walk one or both ways.
- Go swimming in the lake, there are great locations where you can use infrastructure for very little money. In Bern the public swimming pools are free to use.
- Be ready to walk a lot. For a swiss it is totally normal to walk somewhere for 10-15min just to get around. We don't take the bus or tram for every step.
- Look out for discount tickets in the SBB app. If you are willing to travel at times nobody else travels (not in the rush hour) you can buy cheap tickets in advance. Be aware that these are bound to a specific connection, which is not the case for normal tickets.

One of the biggest points in my opinion: Plan ahead. If you have an Idea of what you intend to do, you will always find a discount or a different way how you could get there cheaper. Do a bit of research in advance and ask people for help. Swiss people do not normally just approach tourists to help them if they seem a bit lost, but they are ready to help when asked. Many people speak english.

I am swiss and 32, I spent almost none of my vacations in my own country 😅 it's so cheap for us to go to neighbouring countries

I was in Zurich last month and OMG it was one of the best parts of my trip. Summertime swimming in the lake and beers on the grass. Great way to beat the heat, and wasn't pricy

If you take kids with you, get a Junior Swiss Pass. They cost 30 Franks per year per kid and you can use all transportation and a lot of cable cars without buying an extra ticket for them. This pays off after only a few short trips already!

If you have a pass for the public transport anyway, look for accomodation outside of the cities and touristic hotspots. Often you'll find cheaper options just a 20 minutes train ride away.

My friend in Bern welcomes guests for free as couchsurfers. He has a lot of private, extra space.

Some people come to NY city and eat fast food for two weeks, they save money eating garbage and gaining weight , so don't go to to Switzerland if you gonna eat crap.

Great suggestions! Switzerland looks like a beautiful country.

Thanks for sharing, it`s interesting that for someone living here, -i have come to accept how expensive it is.Anyway, we only not ice the difference when I travel to neighboring countries.It`s just so true that doing Switzerland on a budget is almost impossible but doable. I have really enjoyed your video even as a local.Macdonalds too is expensive, yesterday(17th july) I got a small portion french fries and regular burger and it cost me $(CHF) 14 without a drink!!!!!!!!
I admire people who vacation in Switzerland, it`s really worth the visit but if I were in another country, I`m not sure I could justify spending so much money on a budget vacation.

You can also try delis, small grocery stores. I am from Canada and will be on a 28 day trip November 15 this year - Murren Switzerland, Tromso Norway, Paris and Anchorage Alaska, and all my hotels except for Paris provide breakfast, having said that, having breakfast involved is not always worth it. And if you check the web, there are always travel cost guides (broken down) for certain countries and they are reliable

If you want to eat out, some places will offer a lunch deal. Indeed many museums will do free days once a month. Taking a ferry can also be a cheap way to see a lot of the country for cheap (e.g in Luzern). As for the trains, always book in advance the 'sparpreis'-tickets, this can mean you get the same ticket for a third of the price. If you book in advance, you can also book train day passes which means you can see a lot of different places cheap. Some places in Switzerland are also a nice one day trip from abroad, e.g Lugano from Milan and Geneva from France and Zurich/Basel from Germany.

How to Visit Switzerland on a Budget : You don't.

This is a great guide. Thanks! What about staying at Airbnbs instead of a hostel?

Hello Wolter, i live in Switzerland and like your tips !
The hostel and breakfast tip is awesome, food stalls as well, shop for lunch, swim in the rivers and lakes go HIKING !!! in the mountains is the best way to experience Switzerland.
Transport and hotels ( above Chf 120.-) are really expensive ! lots of places to park a van and sleep in a van witch is transport and roof over your head, and portable kitchen for Chf 150.- a day.
see you guys in Interlaken !!

So weird to see Locarno in one of your videos🥰

As far as I know there's also some sort of travel card for non-residents of Switzerland that you can get for a set amount of money. If you're going around by train a couple of times that might already be worth it. I don't know much about this card because I don't use it (I live here) but I have seen it advertised.

Except, I live in Switzerland, my sister and her family coming with a car. They have free accommodation( of course) and bring a lot of food with them.

The french speaking Part is Not cheaper! Geneva is much more expansive. A beer in St Gallen: CHF 6-7. Geneva: Take the Double price!

my great grandfather was from Switzerland... I've been to Europe several times but never actually made it there. Hoping to visit sometime and see where he was from.

even tho i am swiss and live here i like to watch every video about switzerland

If you buy Reka Checks you can safe 3%. You can pay whit them for the train or a lot of other things

Bonus tips:
- I would stay away from big and often frequented cities as a budget visit. You will be seeing a bunch of those mainstream chain businesses instead of local unique ones. Also you will be charged almost twice as much for exactly the same products you can get in smaller cities or towns.
- If I could only visit 1 area to experience as much "swissness" as possible, that would be Graubünden.
- If you're interested in eating at restaurants, do so at lunchtime. Most restaurants offer a small selection of their menu for much cheaper at lunch. It's not uncommon to get a full meal for $20-30 or even less depending on the type of food. During the evening there's only à la carte in most places and that will quickly cost you $40-50 per person.

If you know anyone in switzerland ask them for a Tageskarte. these cost 45 bucks and you can use almost all the public transport in Switzerland for the whole day. That includes trains, busses, trams, some ships etc. You have to pick these up and book them some week in advance so probably like I said there as to be someone that picks them up for you. My gf and myself use this quite a lot. We just go to the trainstation early in the morning and look at the board with all the trains and chose a city that we like to go to. Hang out in the morning and do the same thing after lunch. Then go to a hostel and do the same thing the next day and go some in the evening. You can travel around see like 4 to 5 cities. Traveling around in the trains is also quite nice because its just a beautiful country. and for two days its 90.- per person. If you would book all the traintickets that would probably be 200 to 300 bucks. So enjoy!

From a swiss: how much it will cost you, really depends on what you want to do. Accommodation and food will be expensive, but you can go all day without spending a single dime from there on. For example in the Engadine valley, public transport is included in your hotel and you can go hiking, biking, wind/kite/wing surfing etc. For free.

Local Basel resident here. Depending on the duration of your visit, absolutely buy some sort of transportation reduction (a pass, a 50% discount, called a Halbtax, or a multiday travel ticket). Generally speaking, meals everywhere will be high quality and expensive. Alternatives include simple prepared options in the supermarkets (sandwiches, savory pastries, quiches) or go to a neighborhood bakery, which will also offer a variety of sandwiches, quiches, and savory options. The two big supermarket chains, Migros and COOP, offer a good variety of take-away. The larger markets often have sit down restaurants. In the summer "buvettes" pop up along the Rhine River where you can get a simple meal in a charming location. A super expensive option would be to buy a baguette and some sliced meat or cheese and make a simple sandwich. Some fruit. Some chocolate. Some wine. What more do you want. Inexpensive hotels in Switzerland are not crummy, They are simple. They will be spic n span clean and comfortable. Just few amenities Tipping is not required, but round up to the nearest franc or nearest 5 francs (depending on the size of the tab) is a courtesy and appreciated. Bottled water in restaurants is insanely expensive. Think: CHF 12 per liter. Costs are high in Switzerland because workers earn good wages. Prevailing minimum wage is about CHF 25/hour. Overall, although prices are high, quality is also high. You'll get what you pay for.